“Unprofessional actions” and “incredibly troubling behavior” at the Auburn Valley Humane Society and Spay and Neuter Center, say employees past and present, prompted 20 employees to quit in the past four months, including all of the medical staff.

On Feb. 3, the employees brought their complaints to the Auburn City Council, in the hope it could make things better.

Chief Executive Officer Phil Morgan, they say, has intimidated staff, improperly touched female employees, made unwanted comments, threatened to fire anyone who complained about him, and allegedly even coached one employee to follow illegal hiring practices. According to one staff member, Morgan recklessly discharged a taser in the presence of staff, visitors and children, and then put her in a chokehold.

Mayor Nancy Backus informed the employees that the city was aware of the problems, and planned to meet with the board of directors last Friday. Backus noted, however, that by contract, the city has little say over the management of the organization. The city has not disclosed what happened at the meeting.

Morgan himself has not responded to repeated calls for comment from the Auburn Reporter, but in response to a Nov. 2024 report from KIRO 7, he adamantly denied the charges, which are only allegations and have not been proven.

In an email, Genevieve S., a volunteer who has worked at the AVHS shelter since 2015, defended Morgan.

“His conduct has been both appropriate and professional, his attitude positive and encouraging, and his demeanor approachable. Mr. Morgan epitomizes integrity and responsibility and represents AVHS’s mission of excellence in the advancement of animal welfare in all that he does,” she wrote.

Before the council meeting, the AVHS Board of Directors addressed a letter to the city, acknowledging the allegations, but defending Morgan and its actions.

“The AVHS Board did not deny any allegations,” the board wrote. “Instead, we took internal complaints very seriously and engaged an independent third-party investigator to comprehensively address staff concerns related to Mr. Morgan’s leadership. The investigation revealed areas in which AVHS can improve, and the Board implemented appropriate curative measures, with additional measures in development.” (Scroll to the bottom of this story to read the letter.)

Comments from employees

What follows are examples of Morgan’s behavior as cited by staff at the meeting who maintain that each incident was either reported to the human resources director, the AVHS board, the independent investigator hired by the board, or all three.

“The organization has lost the trust of many of its employees, resulting in a mass exodus, and is currently struggling, and in many aspects, failing to meet its obligations to the community we serve,” said Jennifer Haskins, Clinical Director of Public Services. She has worked at the shelter for more than four years and has reported to Morgan the whole time.

According to Haskins, Morgan has routinely made unwanted physical contact with female staff, touching their backs, shoulders and legs, even when they asked him to stop. She said he also frequently discussed inappropriate topics with staff, including the bodies of female employees.

Haskins said their work relationship deteriorated so seriously that she no longer felt comfortable meeting with Morgan alone in her office.

“It breaks my heart to see that even after all of this and more, no meaningful action has been taken to protect the staff or the organization,” Morgan said.

According to the shelter’s Director of Public Services, Sarah Shier, in February 2023, Morgan recklessly discharged a taser in the shelter lobby in the presence of staff, visitors and children. The incident was caught on video.

“This was an unnecessary and dangerous action, creating an unsafe environment for everyone in the area,” Shier said. “I was shocked and tried to walk away from him in fear. Phil then followed me and attempted to place the taser on my arm. This was not part of any approved training or professional demonstration; it was an intimidating act that left me feeling vulnerable and uneasy.”

Shier said when she tried to walk away again, Morgan followed her, and, under the pretense of explaining how to restrain an attack, put his arm around her neck in a chokehold.

“This was not a casual interaction; it was a physical and forceful act that crossed all professional and personal boundaries,” Shier said. “Being placed in a choke-hold without warning or consent was frightening. In that moment, I felt trapped and powerless, unsure of what was happening or how far it would go. There was no justification for his action.”

Emily Mattison, the shelter’s animal welfare coordinator for the last three years, said she “has never been more proud to work for an organization than I have been for Auburn Valley Humane Society.”

Mattison said she has also witnessed the organization’s decline over a matter of months, marked by the departure of 20 staff members, including all paid vet staff, owing to “concerns with the CEO and his treatment of employees” and his desire to “remove best practices from operation.”

The result is that the shelter is now without a DEA license-holding DVM and a lead veterinarian, the latter performing surgeries and providing medical care, overseeing kennel and medical staff, and managing the foster program. Without anyone in that position, all controlled drugs must be transferred off-site, among them drugs indispensable for spay and neuter surgeries, Mattison said.

“We struggle to find shelter-savvy veterinarians,” Mattison said. “A veterinarian can’t just come in from private practice and practice at a shelter. You have to have special surgery practices, and you have to have population management understanding, and it is a specialty within the field.”

File photo Phil Morgan, executive director of the Auburn Valley Humane Society Animal Shelter, plays with one of the dogs in his care.

Letter from the AVHS board of directors

In the following letter, the Auburn Valley Humane Society board of directors addresses the concerns expressed by employees past and present at the Feb. 3 Auburn City Council meeting. The letter also discloses some of the details of meeting between AVHS representatives, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus and City Attorney Jason Whalen on Feb. 7.

As of Tuesday (Feb. 11), the city had declined comment on the meeting.

Except for minor editing for the sake of clarity, the letter is given here in its entirety.

“In a continued effort to make sure our valued employees are heard, many of the members of the Board of Directors attended the Feb. 3, 2025, City Council meeting via the livestream; and those public comments were also discussed during the Feb. 7 meeting with Mayor Backus and the City Attorney, Jason Whalen. During the meeting with the Mayor and City Attorney, Board members provided assurance that the services outlined in the City’s contract with AVHS are being provided to the standards required.

“Throughout AVHS’ history, the Board of Directors has taken any staff concerns very seriously. Most all of the concerns expressed during public comment at the Feb. 3 City Council meeting via the livestream were also discussed during the Feb. 7 meeting [and these were] matters that the Board was aware of, and which were focused on via the independent third-party investigator process during the fall of 2024. Other matters commented on occurred 1-2 years ago and were addressed via our prior Human Resources Director at the time.

“In response to stated staff concerns and the independent investigation, curative measures have been implemented to ensure effective and courteous communication among leadership so that our employees feel respected and successful in their position. Not all measures can be shared due to the confidential personnel matters, but the Board is also reviewing additional resources as options for all staff.

“As updated to our Community and Supporters in December, the AVHS Board of Directors is excited to continue the process of engaging a new leadership role within the organization to provide the best possible service to our community and the animals in our care. The Board is actively seeking a leader who will oversee the operations of the Shelter and the Northwest Spay and Neuter Center in Tacoma. The Board is enthusiastic about the future of Auburn Valley Humane Society and is confident that the new leadership role will provide enhanced teamwork for all staff and opportunities for organizational growth.

(In a separate email, the Board later clarified the meaning of the “new leadership role” mentioned in the previous paragraph.)

“With Phil Morgan’s knowledge and experience, he will continue to lead and foster AVHS’ growth in strategic planning and business development. In addition, Phil will continue managing AVHS’ finances and work with the Board in corporate matters, including building connections with our stakeholders, partners, and supporters.

The next Auburn Valley Humane Society Board of Directors meeting is Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Best Western Mountainview Plus, 401 8th Street SW in Auburn. All AVHS Board meetings have always been open to the public. There will be an opportunity for members of the public to attend online, too, and that information will be shared on AVHS social media and its website.”